7 reasons why going to the psychologist is beneficial for anxiety

Mental health problems and disturbances that drain emotional well-being can take many different forms, but in practice, a large part of those who need to go to psychotherapy suffer from anxiety.

And it is that both anxiety disorders and excess anxiety that is not considered psychopathological are among the more common reasons for consultation, and they also occur very frequently among those who do not go to the psychologist despite need it.

The latter occurs because, among other things, resigning oneself to suffering stress and anxiety-type alterations is very normalized; not a few people take for granted that this malaise is an irremediable part of life and of the efforts that must be made to "move on".

However, the truth is that these dysfunctional beliefs are precisely a brake on development personal and work: not seeing that these situations deserve to be managed with professional help is part of the trouble.

• Related article: "Types of Anxiety Disorders and their characteristics"

What are the benefits of going to the psychologist for anxiety problems?

Within the psychological alterations associated with an excess or poor management of anxiety there are many variations, but all of them have in common that can be treated effectively through psychotherapy.

Therefore, here we will review the main reasons why going to the psychologist is beneficial to overcome anxiety problems.

1. Detect problematic ways of dealing with anxiety

In the absence of psychological support, it is easy for those who suffer from an anxiety problem to develop a certain routine or habit to deal with it.

In many cases, these behavior patterns do not stop at just providing momentary relief from discomfort; furthermore, they are themselves added problems. Clear examples of this are found in those who "eliminate tension" by bingeing on food, smoking or consuming alcoholic beverages, or even through self-harm.

Therapy helps to become aware of this type of problem behavior and to stop them in their tracks, providing alternatives to reduce discomfort.

2. Helps to better understand the source of that anxiety

Self-knowledge is another of the pillars of psychotherapy applied to anxiety problems.

In this case, the patient is trained in certain procedures that serve to adopt a broad point of view about what happens to him on an emotional level, without getting "caught" by obsessions and recurring thoughts that in other situations would have fully captured the person's attention focus without letting go.

3. Serves to let go of problematic beliefs

Anxiety is almost always supported by dysfunctional beliefs that we cling to without realizing that they only serve to perpetuate the problem. Negative ideas about oneself, catastrophic forecasts about what will happen to us... mental contents that play against us instead of preparing us for real dangers and risks.

For this reason, the psychologist's consultation also helps people detect and question these internalized erroneous beliefs.

4. It allows to preserve the quality of sleep

One of the first victims of anxiety problems is our ability to sleep well. In addition, not getting enough rest in turn has very negative effects on mental health, and in fact, it also exposes us more to anxiety and stress, thus creating a vicious cycle. For this reason, psychotherapy works to make the person develop behavior patterns aimed at preventing sleep problems.

• You may be interested in: "The 7 main sleep disorders"

5. It is useful to prevent anxiety from deteriorating social relationships

Anxiety problems are not only reflected in what happens to the person who develops them, but also has implications in the way in which the person interacts with others. In this sense, going to the psychologist also serves to that the individual has tools to manage that propensity to frustration, irritability and ultimately little patience characteristic of those who are anxious.

6. Makes it possible to overcome your own fears

Almost always, when faced with an anxiety problem, it is necessary to learn to face something that arouses fear or anguish in us. In therapy, the tools are given to achieve this by going through an ascending difficulty curve and adapted to the capacities that the patient has at that given moment, with the supervision of the psychologist.

7. If possible, the person's relatives are counseled

Many times, therapy also works with the person's loved ones so that, in the family or as a couple, they act as helpers in the therapeutic process. Yes, it it is done without violating the confidentiality of private information poured into the sessions.

Are you looking for psychological assistance against anxiety?

If you want to have professional support for the discomfort caused by anxiety, you can count on us. The team of psychotherapists at Vibra Wellbeing We will assist you by addressing your specific case from the most personalized attention, either in person at our center in Madrid or through online therapy by video call.

Bibliographic references:

• Kendler, K.S. (2004). Major Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. FOCUS. 2 (3): pp. 416 - 425.
• Nestadt, G.; Samuels, J.; Riddle, M.A.; Liang, K.I. et.al. (2001). The relationship between obsessive – compulsive disorder and anxiety and affective disorders: results from the Johns Hopkins OCD Family Study. Psychological Medicine, 31 (3): pp. 481 - 487.
• Settipani, C.A.; Kendall, P.C. (2013). Social functioning in youth with anxiety disorders: association with anxiety severity and outcomes from cognitive-behavioral therapy. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 44 (1): pp. 1 - 18.
• Sylvers, P.; Lilienfeld, S.O.; LaPrairie, J.L. (2011). Differences between trait fear and trait anxiety: implications for psychopathology. Clinical Psychology Review, 31 (1): pp. 122 - 137.